The Bones of Titans

by B. T. Narro

  Still, it felt like they should have a real break before they went back and possibly died.

  KRenn left the room and came back with the three testing stones. “This is where our training becomes dangerous, Siki. If you would like to fetch a servant, he or she can take over for you so long as you translate everything. I fear in my current state that my Analyse will not suffice.”

  “I would not want to put someone else in danger if I can do it myself.” She paused. “Just how dangerous will it be for me?”

  “The chances of anything happening to you are very small if you stay in the corner of the room and follow my instructions carefully.”

  “Then I will stay.”

  “Very well.” He turned to address Leo. “The last thing we have to do before we return is establish a plan in case I and your brother perish. Let me warn you of something, Leo, that is very important to remember.”

  “What?”

  “These testing stones are not like other rift stones. They will not draw in enough Esitry for Artistry to bond to it within the stone. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Leo nodded. “They will not form more Taesitry. But why is that?”

  “It takes months of hard pressure for Taesitry to be made in a stone like this. Once you draw out the Taesitry, that’s it. It will be depleted. We do not have the stones for you to fail as miserably as you did before. We will require one to enact the backup plan, so that means you can only train with two.”

  Leo asked Siki, “There are no more testing stones?”

  “Three are all your king and my father could acquire in this time. There might be others, but we don’t know where they are.”

  “Testing stones are very rare, Leo,” KRenn explained. “Three is probably all you’ll ever get.”

  Leo was amazed Erisena had brought such a valuable stone to Jatn just to find a mage like him and his brother. She must have great means, though she might’ve lost everything after the battle in Jatn in which Leo’s father was forced to join her. It reminded Leo that he wasn’t the only one prepared to make sacrifices.

  “Ready yourself, Leo,” KRenn said as he leaned against the wall and seemed like he might collapse. “Andar, come here and hold the stone for me. I’m too weak to keep a good grasp.”

  Andar took the stone. The other two lay in the corner farthest from Leo.

  “Now what?” Andar asked.

  “Give me a few moments.” KRenn put his hand on the wall and took a few breaths. “Stay here with Leo,” he told Andar as he walked over toward the door. “Siki and I will stand here.”

  Leo grew nervous as his brother asked, “Why is that exactly?”

  “In case,” was all KRenn said morosely, letting Leo and Andar figure out his meaning.

  After a few breaths, KRenn said, “Leo, you will draw out the Taesitry hard to free it from the grasp of the rift stone. When you pull the Taesitry out, it will change from a solid to a gas. It is volatile in this state but should be stable so long as it does not feed on Artistry or Esitry.”

  KRenn had a few more breaths, then he spread his arms and opened a rift. He pushed out his palms and all the Esitry and Artistry in the sealed room spiraled into the rift.

  “Now pull out the Taesitry, Leo.”

  But KRenn still hadn’t explained why it was dangerous or even what Leo would do with it.

  “Just pull it out and then leave it alone.” KRenn sounded more impatient.

  Leo pulled softly on the stone and watched as his brother’s arms came toward him.

  “Whoa,” Andar said, then held his ground as he kept his fist closed.

  “Andar…” KRenn chided. “Do not let that stone go.”

  “Ready?” Leo asked his brother.

  Andar’s knuckles went white. “Ready.”

  Leo pulled on the Taesitry as hard as he could. A stream of energy tinted gold streamed across the room. It collected in the corners as the rest drifted around.

  “Good, Leo,” said KRenn. “Now carefully gather it to the center of the room, but don’t use too much force.”

  Leo directed the Taesitry just as he would Artistry, happy to finally see the energy he knew to be moving, which he could never do with Artistry.

  He began to notice something strange. His shirt was slowly wafting out from his body as if pulled by something. He noticed the same of his pants and even felt it around his feet. Something was indeed pulling him by all his clothing. It was easy to stand his ground, but this pull seemed to be getting stronger. He noticed Andar’s clothing drifting toward Leo. Then he saw that KRenn’s robes, and even Siki’s dress, were billowing toward each other on the other side of the room.

  “Great!” KRenn shouted. “Now hold it steady, Leo, as I bring in Artistry from outside the room.”

  “What’s happening?” Andar asked as he held his shirt down against his stomach.

  KRenn ignored him as he opened the door, motioned with his hand, and then shut the door again. Leo felt a cluster of dense Artistry near KRenn.

  “Everyone, stay in your corner,” KRenn announced, “as far from the Taesitry as you can get. Leo, you will drive the Artistry into the Taesitry. If my theory is correct, then many rifts will open at once, but they should all close moments after opening. I want you and your brother to grab hold of one of your choosing. Use your stalwart link to decide on the biggest you are quickest to locate, because words will not be fast enough. The very moment you have a hold on the rift of your choice, I want you both to drive the other rifts into it.”

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” Andar asked. “It sounds like you’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “It’s safer than not practicing our backup plan. Go whenever you’re ready, Leo.”

  He looked at his brother, who shrugged with a fearful expression. “I guess we’re ready,” Andar said.

  Leo nodded to him. He grabbed hold of the Artistry KRenn had gathered, then grabbed the Taesitry. He looked at KRenn once more for confirmation. The mage nodded at him.

  Leo smashed both clusters of energy into one another.

  There was a loud burst, like a great sack of air popping. After a brief startle, Leo opened his eyes wide to look for a rift. There were six of them, the smaller ones collapsing as Leo glanced around. He chose one that seemed larger than most and held onto the Artistry he felt from it. He found his brother soon helping him, Andar reaching his hand out toward the same rift.

  This was not at all like balancing a link between him and his brother. It was a match of sheer power, absorbing all of Leo’s strength to keep this rift open. The rift was red around the edges, and beige and blue within. Leo thought he could make out dry land and clear sky as he looked closely into the biggest one, which was only about as large as his torso. It shook, wanting desperately to close. The other rifts around it were collapsing but exploding as they shrank down to nothing. In the wake of their destruction, they each created two more rifts much smaller in size. These rifts shrank down and then burst out Artistry and Taesitry, creating even more smaller rifts.

  Soon Leo and Andar desperately held onto the only one left, though Leo heard the same distinct popping sound as before, as if there were other rifts collapsing he couldn’t see.

  Andar screamed as his shirt tore off his arm where it was already ripped from before. The rest of the shirt tore away from his body and flew hard into Leo. It wrapped around him and pulled him a couple steps toward the other side of the room. He planted his feet and looked over his shoulder, finding KRenn and Siki’s clothing wanting to rip off their bodies as well. Leo tried to turn, but simply lifting his foot made his boot fly off. It pitched at Andar, fortunately near his feet. Andar jumped to avoid it, but it struck a wall and came back at him, sweeping him off his feet.

  Andar lost his hold on the rift as he fell. It was too much for Leo to keep open on his own. It collapsed hard, exploding with gold and red energy and forming three more rifts much smaller in size. They followed the same pattern of collapsin
g in on themselves and exploding out energy for more to form. Soon the soft popping sound was the only evidence of energy left…except for articles of clothing and another pair of shoes flying around the room. Leo noticed it then—links everywhere.

  KRenn made a sweeping gesture and suddenly everything came to a stop. He’d broken all the links at once.

  Andar was groaning as he got up, shirtless. “Skyfire and ash, what happened?”

  Siki was laughing as she looked at him. Andar held Leo’s boot with one hand and had his other hand on his rear. He looked so confused that it made Leo chuckle as well.

  “May I open the door, KRenn?” Siki asked. “I need a servant to fetch Andar one of his shirts.”

  “Yes, it should be fine.”

  Siki opened the door and called out in Analyse.

  KRenn was smiling, surprisingly. “Remarkable, just what I thought would happen.”

  “Everything linked together,” Leo said.

  “Precisely.”

  “Why?”

  “Taesitry is an unstable chemical bond that looks to reduce its energy level, which is almost the opposite of Artistry and Esitry, which seek to bond. Taesitry in gas state has bonded into its highest form and seeks peace, but it doesn’t know exactly how to de-escalate its energy levels. To remain in form, it needs a constant source of Artistry and Esitry, such as the amount of Esitry in the dark realm and the amount of Artistry in a Tisary. But when there is a big disturbance…” He paused as he lifted his eyebrows. “Do you see where this is headed?”

  KRenn grinned as if he was making perfect sense to all of them, but Leo could see by everyone else’s expressions that he wasn’t the only one who was confused.

  “I’m not sure we’re following you,” Andar spoke for them. “Can you explain it simpler?”

  KRenn frowned. He removed a cloth from his pocket and dabbed the sweat on his forehead. “When there is a disturbance, such as a large influx of Artistry like we just created, the Taesitry will explode. I’ll leave out a lot of specifics and just say that a potent form of Artistry is released, which is capable of forming links quicker than even Artistry from fire. These links, in theory, are so strong that they not only link everything in the vicinity, but they will link things across realms. Are you all following now?”

  “So that’s why rifts open?” Andar guessed.

  KRenn shook his head with irritation. “No. That is why all of our clothing linked together so strongly that they magnetized. You must at least know that normal Artistry cannot create a link like this.”

  “Yes,” Andar said. “I’ve never seen any linked object move toward another.” He looked around as if giving anyone else a chance to speak, but Leo let him go on.

  “But then why were the rifts made?” Andar asked.

  Leo gasped as the answer suddenly came to him. “Oh, I know.”

  KRenn grew a smile. “Go ahead.”

  “This Artistry must be so strong that it pulls all the Artistry in the air toward it—the normal Artistry and the potent Artistry created by the Taesitry exploding. It creates dense spheres of Artistry that must be so strong that they pull Esitry to them from the dark realm.”

  “Ah, I get it,” Andar interjected. “And Esitry cannot cross over without a rift. So that’s why the rifts are small. They don’t have a lot of Artistry in the first place. And that’s also why they collapse, because there is no more Artistry to feed upon.”

  “Precisely,” KRenn said. He sounded excited, though too fatigued to show it with more than a half smile.

  “Perhaps you should lie down, sir?” Leo asked, really hoping KRenn would agree.

  “I will soon,” he replied, to Leo’s relief. “We are just about done. This time we will use a lot more Artistry to make one of the rifts big enough to jump into. When we do so, I will step closer to attempt to recognize where it leads. This is important in case we need to use testing stones to evacuate as much of the continent as we can.”

  “But what if there aren’t enough testing stones?” Leo worried. “Andar and I could only hold the rift open for a short time, and it was a small one.”

  “With enough initial Artistry, we should be able to create a large rift. The larger it is, the more power it has to draw in Artistry and Esitry to sustain itself. If the right spot is chosen, it might last hours or even days.” KRenn rolled up his sleeves. “This time, I will pull ten times the amount of Artistry into this room, and I will assist you both in holding the rift open. It should draw in the Artistry from the collapsing rifts around it.”

  “Haven’t we already determined this can work?” Leo asked with growing nervousness. “It seems dangerous.”

  “We have only determined that a small rift can be sustained for a short period. Everything we’ve done so far was based on my theory. I still must confirm my theory of the larger portal is a sound one.”

  “You’re always right, though,” Andar argued.

  “I’m not willing to risk the life of everyone on the small chance that something unplanned could happen. We need to ensure you can make a large enough rift using Taesitry.”

  “It sounds like something could go wrong,” Andar said.

  At least KRenn paused to think. “There should be no possibility of a rift opening on top of any of us because they need open space to form.” He put a hand over his forehead as he looked to the ground. He murmured for a while before looking up. “I see no possible dangers.”

  Leo knew he should trust the much smarter man, but Andar also seemed to sense that there had to be more risks than KRenn brought to light. These were rifts after all. They were inherently dangerous.

  CHAPTER SIX

  KRenn opened the door to the sealed room and pulled in Artistry. Leo was amazed by the mage’s power. A sea of Artistry flooded into the room. It could’ve been all the Artistry that had collected in the entire palace.

  KRenn finished in just a moment, shutting the door and collapsing to his knees. “I must rest for a while after this. Then we will ride to the rift and attempt to destroy it. Leo, do you know what to do now to open a portal?”

  “Yes,” he said with confidence.

  “Then go, Leo. Open a portal for us.” There was pride in KRenn’s voice.

  Leo remembered then that no one else, not even KRenn, had been able to control Taesitry. Leo didn’t know what to make of that, but now was not the time to wonder. He faced his brother, Andar’s nervous expression reminding Leo how much he disagreed with KRenn’s decision to perform this experiment.

  But Andar was correct when he’d said that KRenn had been right about everything so far. We will be fine, Leo assured himself. All of us will.

  Leo took a breath to focus through his distracting emotions. He pulled the Taesitry out from the new testing stone in his brother’s hand and quickly collected it into a cloud in the center of the room.

  There was so much Artistry in the room already that Leo hardly needed to direct it toward the sphere of Taesitry for both energies to start bonding together.

  “Slowly,” KRenn warned. “Infuse the Taesitry at a slow and even rate to keep it from exploding as long as possible.”

  Leo concentrated on holding the Taesitry together as gently as he could while driving a thin stream of Artistry into it.

  “Tell me what you’re feeling,” KRenn said.

  “The Taesitry creates a pressure on my mind. It’s getting stronger.”

  “Remember what it felt like just before exploding the last time and make sure to stop at that point.”

  Leo followed the wise mage’s advice, soon pushing the rest of the Artistry into the corner away from the Taesitry.

  “I think it’s about to explode.”

  “Then drive all the remaining Artistry into it when you’re ready.”

  Leo glanced at his brother, who nodded. They knew what to do.

  Leo could only get a fraction of the Artistry near the Taesitry before there was a bang and a flash of light. Six rifts appeared, all large enough to
fit a grown man. They roared and growled as wind rushed around the room. Leo felt his clothes pulling him toward Andar like before. He grabbed the Artistry of the rift between him and his brother and found this one easy to hold.

  None of the rifts were closing, in fact. All seemed to lead to the same place, a dry land with strange trees. KRenn stepped closer, leaning forward to look within. His clothes wanted to rip off his body, but they seemed drawn toward the rift…not to anyone else.

  Leo gasped as he noticed the same thing was happening to the rest of them. “KRenn, the rifts are sucking us in!”

  KRenn didn’t seem to hear him over the boisterous wind, the mage creeping closer. “I don’t know this place!” He leaned back to counter the pull, but it dragged him forward again.

  “KRenn, stop!” Leo yelled.

  KRenn finally seemed to realize the rift was sucking him in. He attempted to walk backward but could barely move.

  “Let them shut!” he yelled. “These are not normal rifts!”

  Leo had already let go earlier, for these large rifts showed no signs of collapsing. Andar seemed more worried than focused, so he must’ve let go as well.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Andar yelled to be heard.

  “Siki, get the door open!” KRenn told her, for she was closest to it. “I can’t hold the rest of the Artistry away from the rifts much longer!”

  Leo felt that there was still an abundance of Artistry in the corner of the room. KRenn seemed to have a good hold, but Leo helped him by shoving it back with his mind, just in case.

  Siki pushed on the door with all her weight. It opened a crack before slamming shut and throwing her backward. She slid with a shriek toward the nearest rift.

  Andar was there in a flash, crouching down to catch her. He stopped her for the moment, but her arms and legs extended out past Andar. Leo was there next, helping Siki adjust so she could get her feet back on the ground.

  “Leo, is there any Taesitry left you can use to destroy these rifts?”